Temporary tattoos can leave lasting marks

This summer, your kid might ask to get a temporary tattoo of henna ink, which is made from plants grown in Africa and southern Asia. Artists use the dye to apply a variety of cool designs at kiosks, fairs, festivals and ethnic specialty shops.

If you sign off on this seemingly harmless idea, you might want to choose red henna and avoid black henna.

The Food and Drug Administration says it has received several reports from around the country of adverse reactions from black henna, which can contain other ingredients not found in traditional henna. Reactions can range from a red, itchy rash to blisters to scarring.

The main culprit seems to be p-phenylenediamine (PPD), an ingredient found in coal-tar hair dyes. It's illegal for PPD to be sold in cosmetics intended for application to the skin, but it has been showing up in henna anyway, since it darkens the ink.

Reactions can occur immediately after the tattoo is applied, or weeks later. The parents of a 5-year-old girl told officials that the girl developed severe reddening on a forearm two weeks after getting a temporary tattoo. Another girl, a teen, had permanent scarring from a temporary tattoo on her back.

Meena Jolly, a Mission Viejo henna artist, says she uses only natural ingredients in her work. She grinds the henna plant and adds oils to create a paste.

"I really haven't seen the black henna myself," she said. "I just read about it on the Internet. It's scary."

She has adorned her 7-year-old daughter, as well as many others at public gatherings. She's never seen anyone have a reaction.

"It's just a natural plant. It's all good," Jolly said.

For more information on black henna, or to report a complaint about tattoos or cosmetics, visit fda.gov">fda.gov or call the FDA's consumer-complaint office for Southern California at 949-608-3530.

Melanoma rates rising among kids

Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is rare in children, accounting for about 1 percent of the 75,000 or so diagnoses each year.

But it's on the rise: A new study published in the journal Pediatrics this week showed that between 1973 and 2009, incidence in kids, from infants through age 19, rose an average of 2 percent per year.

The research, led by Jeannette R. Wong, found that girls were 1.6 times more likely to have melanoma than boys. Boys had a higher incidence rate of tumors found on the face and trunk during the course of the study, while girls had higher incidence only on the lower limbs and hips.

The study looked at 1,230 Caucasian young people in the United States, focusing on that race because whites tend to develop the cancer at much higher rates than others. Kids with fair skin, red or blond hair, or freckles are at particular risk.

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.